


Momentary Pavonia

by HartCore



Series: Pavonian Hearts [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming Out, Confessions, F/F, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Mixing Canon lore with Headcanons, Okay maybe not like a super slow burn i guess it's more of a decently slow burn yknow??, Pre-RWBY, Sienna Khan is the cool lesbian that we all should aspire to be, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:14:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25425205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HartCore/pseuds/HartCore
Summary: After a rocky proposal, Kali Belladonna finds herself running from her problems alongside a close friend in the same boat. But as it turns out, two wrongs could potentially help create an entirely different right.
Relationships: Kali Belladonna/Sienna Khan
Series: Pavonian Hearts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862623
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Ignorance doesn't have to be Bliss

**Author's Note:**

> O-kayyy, this is my first actual work on here, and if it goes smoothly I should actually add a few chapters sometime soon! I haven't actually written anything substantial for a few years, so my apologies for the seemingly sloppy pacing! Hope you enjoyed! <3

The golden sun shone down against the fields of Menagerie, coating the lands with a honey-like glimmer that was good enough to eat. Admittedly it wasn’t recommended that you do so, the fields just before the eastern mountains contained infamously toxic foliage after all. Today the sun also happened to shine down on a cabin that barely bordered the space between the bustling town of Kuo Kuana and the unlivable deserts of the aforementioned Eastern Menagerie. The cabin itself was designed as a political neutral zone during the initial proposal of the Faunus rights act, positioned in such a manner that allowed for the discussion to either turn into a hearty night on the town or a bloodthirsty purgatorial duel in the wastes. Suffice to say, the people of Menagerie were never allowed much leeway in the field of politics.

It was a shame too, as the politicians of the nation were considered some of the brightest and most headstrong across the entirety of remnant. Whether it be the dominant historical parties of the White Fang, or the eventual revered upheaval by the Belladonna house, Menagerie’s nobles and higher-ups had always commanded respect from those around them without even having to say a word. As a matter of fact, those two parties in particular had a storied history almost as intertwined as that of Kuo Kuana’s gradual rise itself. From the White Fang’s dominance, came the Belladonna’s benevolence, thanks in part to the support the nation had for its leader, Ghira, alongside his fiance, Kali-

“- And then, And then he got down on one knee, and he proposed! To me! I-I didn’t even know what to do, I was about to slap him because I thought he was just getting down to speak to me at eye level and...And…! Fwaaah!!” The aforementioned Belladonna-to-be groaned as she slammed herself against the walls of the cabin. Letting the reverberations of her impact simmer, Kali gradually slumped down along the wooden walls before coming to a stop on the floor, resting with her head between her knees and her hands cuddling them close. She sniffled quietly before cocking her head upright slightly to look across the cabin. She wasn’t alone, rather she had come to the cabin with company to seek solitude, away from the ever approaching burden of responsibility.

That company was a woman called Sienna Khan. Once a Sergeant Major in the White Fang’s stealth and Infantry forces, now thrust into the limelight by the same man as her accomplice.  
“At least you got a choice. Saying no to the new Chieftain took guts, sure, but look at me. I didn’t even get a say, hell, I was asleep when Ghira made his announcement. Way to honour your new High Leader, don’t even tell her she- Hang on,” The Tiger faunus sat up from her previous lounging position on the cabin’s sofa-bed, glaring across the room at Kali,”You did say no, right?” She inquired, only being met with a little whine and a subtle shake of the head, Sienna groaned herself, hauling herself from the furniture and ambling over to Kali’s side before flopping down beside her ungracefully. 

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know.”

“He’s going to seek you out until you give him an answer.”

“I know.”

“His parents will blackmail you if after all this time you still say no.”

“I know.”

After each admission of knowledge, Kali would let out a soft sigh and a sniff. Nothing dramatic, just a quick little feverish gasp and sniffle. Gradually she raised her head from her legs and rested it against the wall once more. Every few seconds she’d bop the back of her head against the structure, before eventually Sienna pressed her hand against Kali’s hair to cushion the blows and eventually stop her entirely. She stopped at around bop sixty. Sienna chuckled a little at the slow decline of her smacks, placing her other hand against Kali’s chest just in case she decided to start lunging forward instead. In a way it looked like she had gone to hug the wife-to-be but got petrified mid-reach by the glistening sun.

“I just don’t know. Ghira is lovely, sure, but we’re nothing alike! I can’t even imagine us having a worthy conversation past ‘Did you see the parade last week?’ ‘Mmm.’ I-I’ve got sensitive ears, the silence would boom in them! I don’t see why he had to go for me instead of the countless other practical models that live in Kuo!” Kali finally took the plunge and vented, almost lunging forward as Sienna predicted, instead just rotating herself and landing face-up in her friend’s lap. She gazed up at the striped woman, reaching up and toying with the spiked tips of her hair as she tried to think back to when times were simple, when she was nothing but a commoner with a few connections.

It felt like yesterday that the two women had met by chance at a festival, with Kali not recognizing Sienna despite her infamy throughout the nation for her harsh choices of words being well documented. A commoner with no past, and a soldier with a regrettable one, they were a perfect pair. Naturally their meetups resulted in Kali becoming acquainted with members of the White Fang such as a bull couple with an oddly fitting last name of Taurus (Apparently they were expecting a baby soon, how sweet!), some fairytale-like contract killers that were secretly sweet, and of course Ghira. Well, she hadn’t exactly met Ghira, rather they made small talk whenever she had been invited to Sienna’s spare seats at council meetings. Kali supposed Ghira had simply learned her name by eavesdropping, and the rest was history.

“Well, if it makes you feel better, he asked me to marry him and I said no. I’m clearly much better looking than you, after all~” Sienna cooed, sticking her tongue out at the whining wife and receiving a loose little smack to the side of her face for her efforts.  
“Can’t exactly deny that…”  
“Wait, what was that?”  
“Hmm? Nothing.”  
“Uh huh... “ Sienna raised a brief eyebrow, but thought nothing of it. Probably just Kali being defeatist again. Poor girl…

Sienna continued with an almost relieved sigh, reminiscing on the event, “Yeah...Yeah, that’s right. He asked me to marry me, and when I rejected him he offered me a position as the High Leader to sweeten the deal. Well, that or to shut me up. I told him I’d think about it, assuming he was joking, aaand then the next day I woke up to a surprise pedicure and grape bowl from some of his former attendees! I yelled at them to scram, but then it turned out that they were now my attendees, and he’d just bailed! I assume that’s when he proposed to you, and here we are,hiding from our problems together, yes?”  
Again she was greeted with a little head shake and a huff just like before. This time the shake was more of a nod, or at least as much of one as Kali could muster without slamming her head against Sienna’s thigh.  
“Shows how much he pays attention though, really. He’s well meaning but his head is stuck in the big burly man zone. I couldn’t have married him even if I had a gun to my head, my priorities lie...elsewhere.”

This got a small rise out of Kali. Normally Sienna would tell her everything whenever they split off from the herd to gossip or drink, but priorities? This was a new one.  
“Killing?” She asked bluntly, eliciting a sudden guffaw from the darker skinned woman.  
“Oh I wish I was that committed. But that’d make me a war criminal, I reckon.”  
Kali pondered once more, still pawing at Sienna’s hair and outfit as she did so.  
“Real Estate?”  
Sienna just stared down at the woman in her lap, flicking her shoulder, “Honey, please. If you saw the size of the White Fang Mansion, dumbest name ever by the way, you’d realise just how much I despise managing it, and how much more I’m going to despise it now that it’s entirely mine.”  
Kali was stumped. Controversial grandeur and killing were all Sienna had professed sufficient experience in, and her relaxation activities could hardly be prioritized as they’d cause too much of a stir for her image. So what could it be?

Sienna could practically hear Kali’s face scrunching up as her thoughts drove her nuts. Letting out another chuckle, she took a hold of her friend’s hand, specifically interlocking their pinkie fingers.  
“I guess now’s as good of a time as ever. Hell, we’re alone, literally the only time I could tell you. You have to promise not to tell anyone what I’m about to say, okay?” The tiger asked in an almost hushed voice, her ears ever so slightly tilting back in...fear? That was a new one.  
Kali looked down at their twined hands and then back up into her friend’s eyes.  
“I promise.”  
The tiger took a deep breath, keeping a slightly tighter hold of Kali’s hand as she felt her sit up a little in her lap.  
“Okay, alright, here we go. Kali, I like… I’m, uh… Damn, this is harder than I thought. Kinda feels weird, can we stand up?”

After a few moments of awkward stumbling and shuffling, the two women found themselves standing in the centre of the cabin with the sun beaming down at them through the small window. Sienna placed her hands on Kali’s shoulders, as if either bracing her for a shocking revelation or to be thrown. Probably the former, maybe the latter if this went horribly wrong.  
She took another deep breath, exhaling and then inhaling once more. She lingered with her breath, practically resembling a chipmunks and turning slightly blue before Kali placed her hands on the tiger’s cheeks and pushed the air out.  
“Sienna, you’re stalling. Come on, I’m sure it isn’t that bad-”  
“GAAHHHHFIIIINE. Kali, I’m… I’m a lesbian.”  
Sienna let out a ferocious groan before slumping her head down and resting it on Kali’s shoulder. She winced, expecting to be shoved away or suplexed, but instead she inexplicably found herself being warmed up. Kali had wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a gentle hug, resting her chin atop her spiked hairdo. 

A silence blanketed the room along with the light of dusk, before Kali found herself being the one to break it with a little giggle.  
“Is that all? You had me worried.” The cat reached and slightly tilted Sienna’s head to face her own, greeting the tiger’s flustered expression with her own warm, calming smile.  
“You don’t think it’s weird, or wrong? Most faunus would be outraged! Y’know, we’re a society built on reproduction and population distribution, the higher-ups would kill me!” Sienna stuttered and stammered, noting their positions and gaining a slightly redder shade on her cheeks as she used her hands to put a tiny bit more distance between their faces.  
“Well I’m not a higher up, and I suppose I’m not ‘most faunus’ either. Personally I think it’s wonderful! I always had a feeling you may have had some sort of interest, you do organize most of the traditional dances after all.”

Sienna huffed and flicked Kali’s nose, yanking herself out of the hug and dropping onto the sofa-bed with a little chuckle, “Oh come ON! Everyone likes the history dances! You might as well call the entire female population of Kuo Kuana gay if you’re gonna out me just for that!” With a hearty laugh, Kali dropped to the floor on top of a round rug perpendicular to where Sienna was laying and shook her head, “Yes, but you’re the one that gets final say on the outfits. I’m not a history buff, but I don’t remember many Menagerie tribes that wore lingerie.”  
The two women glared at each other for what seemed like minutes, but was actually just a few seconds before simultaneously bursting into laughter. Sienna sat upright, patting the space on the cushioned surface beside her to invite Kali over.

“So, I have to know, give me all the details. What’s it like, what do you look for?” Kali hummed, once again laying across Sienna’s lap melodramatically. She received a light knee to her back as payment, and a lighter slap to the forehead as collateral.  
“Well, I… I suppose. I never really got to think about it too much, but I suppose my perfect partner is just what everyone wants, really. Fun to talk to, open minded, sweet...Uhm... Like a guardian angel, really. I’d want them to be someone I would knowingly survive for, someone that can cheer me up no matter how awkward the situation... Someone I can wake up and think to myself how lucky I am to have them in my life.” She trailed off, lost in her mess of thoughts a little. Kali reached to her side and patted the top of Sienna’s hand, smiling up at her.

“Sounds like one hell of a woman.”

“Yeah… Yeah, she really does, doesn’t she?”


	2. I trust you as far as I can take you across the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With an idea hatching in her head, Sienna thrusts herself and Kali back into the throes of escapism. Who says that running from a suitor can't be fun?

“You want us to do WHAT?!”

About an hour had passed since the two cats had indulged in their little vent fest. With Kali’s fear of marriage looming over her, and Sienna’s secretive weights being lifted from her shoulders, it was as if the two had switched outward personalities. Kali had always been the more chipper of the two, with Sienna having to portray herself as a stoic individual due to her position, and yet here the positive and negative energies that they usually exuded were inversed. 

Kali sat upright with a start as she exclaimed incoherent gubbins at her accomplice. After getting her flustered noises out of her system she took a deep breath and was finally able to speak in some vague form of language that seemingly required umpteen stammers and sporadic titters.  
“A-Atlas? Y-You want us to… To go to Atlas?!” She breathed, exasperation practically etched onto her face as she took in the proposal, “Atlas, like, _Atlas_ Atlas? Schnee Dust Atlas, Faunus discriminating Atlas? That Atlas?!”  
Shaking her head with a tut, Sienna placed her hands on Kali’s cheeks to try and get her to stop fidgeting. Lightly kneading the soft skin between her thumbs, she tried again to explain.

“No, I said we should go to UNDER-Atlas. It’s what we started calling Mantle during operations because some of the thicker-skulled members of the infantry squad would assume we were digging into the earth’s crust,” She explained slowly, waiting for a little ‘ooooh’ to come from Kali’s lips as the information finally went through, “Anyway, Mantle is a nice place. Not economically, obviously, they’re currently in the middle of a currency redundancy because of those damn Schnees and their extortion tactics. But I digress, I say we should go to Mantle!”  
Finally removing her hands from her friend’s face, Sienna held her arms out in a victory-like fashion, as if expecting oodles of praise for her ‘genius’ idea.

“Well, I mean… Why? I thought the plan was to stake out here until Ghira found us and...Y’know, yelled at us?” Kali piped up, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as Sienna’s expression panged from pride to vexed. Ah, yes, she’d completely forgotten to actually give her actual meaning for the trip.  
“It’s a surprise. Just trust me on this one, okay?” The tiger quipped, practically slamming her arms back to her sides with a coy head tilt, ”Mantle is safe for Faunus in the grand scheme of things. Plus, we get a head start against tall, brawny and dolty. As High Leader I can get immediate access to ships and the like, whereas since Ghira is Chieftain he’ll have to file a bunch of paperwork to even take a day trip to a close by island in order to leave this place in good hands. It’s a win-win, except there’s no real second party here so it’s just a win, period.” Sienna elaborated as much as she could, not wanting to confuse her commoner friend. Most faunus on Kuo Kuana barely even got a glance at the outsides of the noble houses, let alone the personal insight that Kali had so often attained through their frequent contact.

Kali stood up and idly paced back and forth between the walls, running things over in her head as she tried to figure out some sort of counterpoint. In truth she had always been afraid of sudden change, it took all of her mental fortitude not to scream in apology and shock when she found out who Sienna actually was all that time ago!  
“Well… What happens when we get there? I don’t want to be a burden, and I d-”  
“We use my position to bargain our way onto a cargo ship headed to Solitas, hook up with a transport crew and hop off once they reach Mantle airspace. Once there we go to an inn and take in the sights.” Sienna immediately interrupted, not wanting to endure another several minutes of fearful questions. She held her arms out again, in less of a victory pose and more of a ‘satisfied?’ pose. The commoner slightly raised a hand, before pulling it back down.  
“Alright. I trust you.” She sighed, walking back over and holding that same hand out to Sienna, who grasped it firmly and pulled herself up. The two cats stood eye-to-eye, ready to take on the world. 

Or at least, y’know, take a boat.

It had all gone smoothly, if you describe a slightly worn down tarmac path as smooth. Sienna had used her authority to grant herself access to the cargo hold of an Atlesian ship along with her plus one, of course. The ride had been rickety so far, and overall boring due to the two barely being able to make contact throughout. Apparently no matter the dubious cause, safety measures still have to be taken, so they found themselves buckled on opposite sides of the cargo bay, their voices muffled by the sound of the loud engines on the other side of the metal around them. Every few minutes they’d make extended eye contact, with Kali usually being the one to break it with a little giggle which resulted in Sienna giving a bashful little grin in response.

Several rocky hours passed, more than likely due to the pilot literally hitting a bunch of literal rocks on the way down. The ship had just passed the Solitas outskirts most likely, notable for the sudden cold breeze that snuck through the hangar vents and the gradual slowdown of the ship. The two had been provided with thin fleeces to cover their arms (Admittedly Sienna hadn’t thought through the fact that they were going from one of the warmest places in Remnant to one of the coldest) that they could put on upon exiting. A few more minutes grinded along, and despite the declining speed the loud engines still prevented the two ‘stowaways’ from being able to actually hear each other. You would have thought that Atlesian equipment would have some sort of proper upkeep, but apparently not.

Finally the ship came to a full stop, and with some inebriated yelling from the captain up above, Kali and Sienna unclipped themselves from the Wall and gradually staggered upright. Finding your footing after an airplane ride is one thing, but finding your footing after riding in a cargo hold while effectively chained to a wall like some sort of sacrifice is an experience that no faunus would ever truly understand except for these two. The bay’s shutters began to open up wide and sent the once cold draught into an almost spear-like wind against their chests, barely being masked by the tarp-like fleeces that had been supplied. Immediately Sienna leapt from the ship, landing in the crisp Solitas snow beneath her. She silently cursed herself for not opting to wear boots instead of her usual sandals, before holding her arms out with a wide smile.

“Come on, I’ll catch you.” She spoke with a chuckle as she looked up at Kali, who was still fiercely clinging to the side of the ship. Kali grimaced as she looked down at the snow, seeing the subtle twitches of Sienna’s ears, and even the way her toes curled against the cold nature that had damned them. Her ears flattened against her head as her risk assessment just made her fear what was to come even more.  
“Y-You sure?” Kali stammered as she stepped a little more out of the ship. There was a retractable half-meter outward platform that extended from the hangar door that she was able to stand on, but as the door began to close once more she found herself running out of time.  
“You said you trust me, it might as well extend to this! Now c’mon, before you get a faceful of ice!” Sienna laughed and threw her head back, not expecting to see Kali practically lunging from the platform after losing her footing upon regaining her posture.

Sienna pushed herself into fight or flight mode at the sight of her friend falling, diving onto the ground with a snowy crunch that barely masked her audibly screaming ‘FUCK!’. The next few seconds were a blur for the former soldier as she felt a weight drop onto her lap. A few seconds passed while she regained her senses, finally being greeted with the sight of Kali draped ungracefully across her legs after a few more blinks. Kali’s head came to rest on her stomach, eyes clenched tight as she clinged to Sienna with all her might.  
If one listened well enough, Kali could even be heard letting out a constant squeal that sounded as if someone mixed a kettle with a dog toy.  
“Nice job,couldn’t have done it better myself.” Sienna teased with a snicker as she sat up a little while making sure Kali stayed resting atop her legs.

Kali groaned and raised her head slightly, giving Sienna a light shove before she stood up in the snow, shuddering a little and glancing around. Sienna watched her with wide eyes and an agape mouth,  
“What the- How are you standing so easily? Most people just scream when they first touch snow!” She stammered, before feeling a metaphysical arrow pierce her brain at the sight of Kali giving her a sly smirk.  
“Weeeell, I saw you shivering like a kitten and braced myself mentally~” She cooed, winking at her floored friend before reaching down to help her up, “Now come on. You helped me down, I might as well help you up. Oh, but if it gets too cold I call first dibs on being carried.”  
Sienna gratefully took Kali’s assistance, taking a firm hold of her hand and hoisting herself up. She instinctively stood up on her toes to try and limit the amount of her that touched the snow, garnering a chuckle from her friend who had finally found at least one benefit to wearing her awkward heeled boots. The tiger gave a playful shove in response, knocking their arms together as they began to wander through the snow-coated plains in search of travel to Mantle.

“Kali?”

“Hmm, is something the matter, Sienna?”

“You’re still holding my hand.”

The two stood in silence for a brief moment as Sienna gestured at their intertwined fingers. She had only grasped her hand after all, so it was surprising for Kali to be so clingy. Kali’s breath hitched in her throat, and she quickly yanked her hand away with a red face, though that could be attributed to the cold air wrapping around her like a snake.  
“I-I just wanted to stay warm is all! Plus, y’know, if I fall over I’d want you to be coming down with me so I’m not the only one getting all mucky.” She quickly retorted and folded her arms across her chest. Sienna raised an eyebrow before chuckling, striding across the snow to her friend before wrapping her right arm around her shoulders. She pulled Kali a little closer, even occasionally bumping their heads together as she tried to walk while keeping them both in the side-hug.  
“Then this’ll be more comfortable. You don’t mind, right? It’s just huddling for warmth, standard affair.” Sienna explained as she patted Kali’s shoulder.

“Heh...Affair, how fitting.” Kali snickered a little, leaning into Sienna ever so slightly. She was going to retort, but honestly it was much more welcome than she had anticipated. The two walked in silence for a few moments before Kali piped up again.

“Are you going to tell me _why_ we’re doing this, now?” 

Sienna looked down at her and shook her head with a smile

“Nope. I suppose you’ve just got to trust me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Welcome back! I hope you're enjoying the story so far!  
> My apologies for the pacing in this chapter especially, initially I had planned for the sequence in Mantle to be part of this chapter but I didn't want it to be too long winded, so instead I opted for a little bit of fast travel and some banter between our girls. But don't worry, this will allow the Mantle chapter to have more breathing room and not be rushed. My update schedule will be rather inconsistent (I'm not exactly a high tier author as you've probably guessed, ahaha!), but I hope to push out the next couple of chapters in an acceptable length of time!  
> I hope to see you all again soon <3


	3. I want to feel stupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally reaching Mantle, Kali and Sienna let themselves unwind, focusing on nothing but the woman on either side and the ground beneath their feet. Sienna finally unveils her surprise, hoping the anticipation wasn't wasted.

It had been half an hour since Kali and Sienna had landed in Solitas. Their pilot had essentially left them stranded with a vague notion of where to go thanks to some faint tyre tracks in the snow from previous delivery routes. Not that it mattered much anyway, as an actual transport vehicle had arrived to the wastes in order to pick up a few packages from another actually reliable shipment that had been left behind a few hours prior. Suffice to say the two cats relished in the delight of being able to feel some warmth against their skin, even if it was musky engine heat, but reviled the fact that they were stuck in the back cargo hold of a vehicle again. At the very least this journey didn’t take as long, and they could actually hear each other over the sound of the rumbling mechanics of the vehicle and the crunching of cobble and snow beneath them. 

“Well, here we are. Like, properly this time,” Sienna spoke proudly as this new set of doors opened, allowing the duo to safely (and cleanly) step onto the paved streets of Mantle, “I’ll be sure to give that pilot a good talking to when we get home.”  
She held out her left arm almost expectantly, as Kali eagerly latched onto it and intertwined it with her right. It had been a while since they’d been able to actually unwind together in a public place, the last time being one of Kuo Kuana’s festivals. She was just happy to get to spend time doing things with a friend that most people generally got to do daily. 

Mantle was just like she’d heard. A mostly industrial town coated in a thin layer of icy smog high above the rooftops. It wouldn’t harm them in its current state, but Kali silently prayed for the safety of all the town’s future residents. The architecture was mostly formed of standard office-like apartment blocks in an almost rustic colour scheme that was further assisted by the warm yellow lighting emanating from every other frosted window. Sienna could see the slight concern welling in Kali’s eyes as she glanced around at some of the less refined buildings surrounding the area where the floating city of Atlas resided above. She scowled slightly at the sight of such provocative power assertion, the same power that had put her and so many of her brethren into their current way of life. But she could care less about that for the time being, loosening her hold of Kali’s arm to clasp her hand between both of her own.

“C’mon, let me show you some of the sights,” She said with a smile, keeping hold of Kali’s hand and lightly moving it towards herself as if to gently pull her along. Kali nodded, smiling back at her and chewing her lip a little.  
“This is all so...so mesmerising,” She sighed softly, letting her fingers clasp around the lower of Sienna’s hands as they walked, “I’ve never seen anything like this… It’s like a whole other world.” Kali’s eyes flicked around, taking in the sights of every building around them, letting the different visuals burn into her mind. Sienna couldn’t help but let out a little giggle, peaking Kali’s interest almost immediately.  
“Did I say something stupid again?” Kali asked, her ears slightly tilting back as if getting ready to embrace a wave of embarrassment. Sienna tutted and pulled one of her hands away to pat her friend on the head.

“Of course not. It’s just nice to see how you enjoy the simple things. I’ve been here too many times on assignments, more than I’d like to count. Every time we just had to follow through with the mission, nobody wanted to take the time to savour the landscape or even acknowledge how taboo it was that we were standing below the one place that our community is lower than the crust of the earth,” Sienna explained, running her fingers through the snow-dashed locks of Kali’s hair, before returning them to the woman’s hand, “It’s funny to think really, but right now I feel like I’m higher than any floating island could ever be. Does that make sense?” She shrugged a little, getting a little giggle from Kali as she huffed, “Oh, great, I said something stupid this time, didn’t I?”  
This time Kali reached up to pat Sienna with her free hand, returning the favour as much as she could before pulling away and letting her hand idly rest by her chin, “No, not at all, Sienna. You’re just silly, having unique thoughts doesn’t make you stupid. If anything it just makes you all the more interesting, I could listen to your little poetry...thought...things all day!” 

Sienna cocked her head to the side a bit, intrigued as they came to rest against the railing of a bridge. As the two watched across the frosty water, taking in the sight of the river beneath them rippling with each droplet of gentle hail that tossed itself down from the sky and listening to the ever present bustle of nearby pubs, Sienna felt inclined to pull herself a little closer.  
“Poetry, you say? Hmm… Roses are red, Violets are blue… Uhm…” Sienna trailed off, trying her damnedest to actually think of something. Kali snickered, following suit and nudging her shoulder against the tiger’s.  
“Roses are red, Violets are blue, thanks for bringing me here, I’m happy to be here with you!” The shorter woman sang with glee, wrapping both of her arms around Sienna with a goofy grin. Sienna was taken aback by the sudden hug, staggering a little but managing to hold them both up. She let Kali have her mirth, patting her on the back a little as they began to walk with the momentum of the hug, eventually just walking arm-in-arm again.  
“Well, someone certainly is a natural. That’s almost sweet enough for me to send back at a cafe and demand a more savoury tea.” Sienna retorted and swung Kali’s hand up a little within her own, to which Kali just shrugged her shoulders and went with the flow.  
“What can I say? I learned from the best.”  
“Wait, who’s the-”  
“Sienna, I could not more obviously be talking about you. Do I look like the kinda girl that sits around reading Ninjas of Love?”

The two continued to walk and banter through the town, much to the surprise of some of the other citizens that weren’t inside bars or pubs. Two Faunus being happy? Near Atlas? Unthinkable! But that was just how it came to be, with their hands clasped together and their glances more often than not focused on each other instead of the path, save for whenever Sienna pointed out a select few feature or landmarks.  
“So you’re telling me you’ve never actually been to a shopping centre before? I suppose that’s not too much of a stretch, considering our market mostly just deals in edible goods.” Sienna thought aloud with Kali nodding in confirmation. She’d hit the nail on the head. Kali scratched the back of her neck a little with a slight nervous chuckle,  
“I’ll be honest, before I met you I didn’t really go out much, period. I lived alone and was just sorta trying to survive quietly without being noticed. The humans didn’t really care much for the plain old average citizens when they did their...recruitment...Y’know? They wanted strong ones to do heavy lifting, or weaker ones for menial dainty tasks. But then I decided to go to that festival and I met you, the rest is history. So not only would I not be here without you, but I probably wouldn’t be… Well, _here,_ either.” She explained, gesturing to the town first and then at the ground after. Sienna felt a bevy of emotions swallow her conscience. Resentment for the humans that put them through such arduous lifestyles, Fear for Kali’s past life… And gratitude for the present. For the both of them. She took a hold of Kali’s hand and pulled it over to her own chest.

“And as a result, you’re _here_ too.” Sienna spoke softly, stroking her thumbs along the length of the hand as she let it reside over her heart. Kali was speechless, not even pulling her hand back or pressing it forward. She just watched as Sienna held her close, taking in the sight of the well-meaning tiger. The White Fang had caused the new High Leader to build up walls, and yet it seemed all it took was a short cat to finally break through them. She quickly snapped herself back to reality, shifting her hand upwards to Sienna’s shoulder and placing her other hand on her waist, pulling her into another hug. She held her tight, so much so that Sienna could barely even comprehend what was happening, her arms flailing as she tried to hug back against the vice-like grip.  
“You’re such a dork, Sienna. You always know exactly what to say, meanwhile I’m lucky to think of something smart to blurt out once a month at best!” Kali whined softly into Sienna’s shoulder before prying herself from the hug, bowing a little in apology as Sienna got her breath back.

“Trust me, you’re smarter than you let on. Problem is it’s like you’re not smart enough to see that sometimes,” Sienna joked as she stretched idly before taking hold of Kali’s hand once more,”Now c’mon, I actually know where we’re going this time. I told you I had a surprise lined up after all.” She added, finally beginning to take large strides with Kali staggering in tow to try to keep herself close.  
“You’ve been talking about trust a lot ever since this whole shebang began, Sienna. Is that something they taught you in infantry?” Kali asked between breaths as she managed to time herself skipping in rhythm with her friend’s strolling. Sienna tensed a little at the question but kept walking, looking away slightly with a light blush dusting her cheeks.  
“No, I just… Of all people, I want you to be able to be certain I’m telling the truth. I’d hate for a day to come where you’d doubt me, sorta comes with the territory of you first knowing me as just Sienna Khan, and not Sienna Khan the authority of the White Fang’s forces.” She explained, puffing some hair from her face to cover up the sound of Kali responding with a teasing ‘awwww’ as the two reached a tall building. Similar in structure to the countless others in the city, but a mountain in comparison, it rocked an out hanging neon sign that simply read _The Skyline Hotel._

The two women stepped inside, where there was a surprising lack of employees. Apparently due to the community-driven nature of Mantle, many businesses such as hotels and apothecaries were left open during the later hours based purely on honour and trust. It helped a lot for Faunus refugees, as well as not having to worry about navigating the busy streets before closing time.  
“So this was the surprise? That we’re gonna be staying here for the night?” Kali asked with a hint of exasperation. Sure she liked to sleep, but this wasn’t exactly much of a surprise. Though part of her was intrigued to see what Mantle would look like without its lamp-filled orange hue. Sienna shook her head, gesturing to an elevator,   
“Not quite. Though staying here will be a bonus I suppose,” She explained once more as the two stepped into the moving cabinet, the doors closing as soon as they entered,”Not too long ago I was part of a squad, doing surveillance while we sent a representative to negotiate. I got saddled with this place and… Well… Just close your eyes.” She spoke concisely, with Kali giving a strong affirmative nod before shutting her eyes tight. Sienna felt inclined to stand behind her to guide her, pressing her hands over the shut eyes of the short woman and holding her close by using her elbows to push Kali’s shoulders back a little.

Two minutes passed, and the elevator came to a stop. Unlike when they came in and felt a slight warm tinge, the cold winds of Solitas brushed against them once more. Were they on an unfinished floor? Kali shuddered a little and she began to take baby steps forward under the guidance of Sienna, who was slowly navigating her forward.  
“Easy, easy. Okay, reach out, there’s a railing in front of you.” Sienna spoke calmly as she gradually pulled her hands from Kali’s eyes. The warmth of her hands remained on the cat’s face for a brief few moments, resulting in Kali keeping her eyes shut tight as she gripped the metal in front of her. As soon as she did, Sienna stood beside her and placed her right hand on top of Kali’s left, placing her free hand on the rail. 

Kali finally opened her eyes, flinching a bit at the subtle bite of the wind before they widened.

They were on the roof of the hotel, which went above the layer of fog that blanketed the town. Looking across the horizon, in every direction, Kali could see a translucent rolling wave of white steam and smoke, glittering with spotlights and the orange hues of the lights of the city beneath. Above them, the deep navy sky shimmered with soft glistening stars and trails of turbulence-spiralled clouds, as well as an almost magical hue that supported the floating island above, like some sort of vertical Aurora. Kali’s mouth hung agape as her gaze got lost in the mesmerising visuals. A light show just for them, a sea that only they occupied, a world of their own.

“Sienna, I’m… It’s wonderful.” The cat murmured softly, resting her head against Sienna’s shoulder as she watched the stars twinkle in rhythm with the swaying spotlights gleaming from Atlas above.  
“During the mission I’d come up here just to glare. I’d look up and behind for spite, but down there for the hope. There are so many wonderful people in this world. Faunus, Human, There are good and bad people everywhere, no matter the species. I can look down at that fog and realise that beneath it all there’s a community of humans that have been equally screwed over by the authority above. I can remember that there are good people. And, well… For once, I can watch over it beside an even better person than everyone combined.”   
Sienna sighed softly as she reminisced, swaying a hand over the edge of the railing as if she was trying to grab a fistful of stars, before slumping down against it with a light groan.

“Is something the matter?” Kali asked as she watched the tiger practically deflate. She heard Sienna let out a soft little giggle, as if she had just heard her own voice on helium.  
“Y’know how we were talking earlier about never knowing what to say?” The tiger then said, raising her head up slightly and resting her chin on the rail. Kali nodded in response, getting another giggle as feedback.  
“I’ve got one for you, something stupid. Am I allowed that? Am I allowed to say something stupid, Kali?” Sienna staggered upright, similar to how her words staggered a little themselves. She placed her hands on Kali’s shoulders, and again Kali gave a determined nod.  
“I’m sure it’s not stupid, Sienna.” She said firmly, folding her arms before unfolding them and placing them on top of Sienna’s, holding them in place.

Sienna inhaled through her nose with her eyes shut, before looking Kali in the eyes. The city was practically silent beneath them, and the wind was the only entity that seemed to care, flowing through their hair and outfits like soft flags.  
“Alright, you asked for this. I’ve tried to rationalise it as admiration, or idolisation, or hell even just a silly crush for so damn long, but I can’t hide from it anymore,” She groaned a little at the final bit as there was no going back, taking another deep breath before speaking once more, “Kali, I adore every last bit of you. Head to toe. Banes to boons. I’m head over heels, Smitten, Infatuated. **I love you.** ” 

The rooftop returned to silence. Sienna watched as Kali simply gazed up at her, and she felt her heart practically box her chest. She quickly pulled her hands from the girl’s shoulders, sighing a little,   
“There. I said what had to be said. Just to clarify, the rooftop thing was the surprise, so, like, even if you hate me after this this was still a g- mmh?”  
She was cut off. But by what? Looking down she was able to see, and then the rest of her senses returned to her. Her cheeks burned crimson, and her hands froze in the air. Kali had pulled herself close and pressed their lips together. 

The shorter woman had closed her eyes, a stark contrast to Sienna who was still trying to process it all, eyes wide. Kali’s hands kept a strong but calm grip around the tiger’s shoulders, and she had stood up on her toes to keep Sienna comfortable. Instincts that she didn’t even know she had, they had all taken over her. Was it her urge to make her friend happy? Was it just a general caring nature? For once Kali had no questions in her life. Just a singular answer. Sienna finally gave into her own dreams, letting her own arms idly wrap around Kali’s waist as she returned the kiss and tilted her head slightly. Her hands would rub gently against Kali’s back, subtly pulling her as close as she could as they leaned against each other, no railing needed. 

A brief few moments passed with the two being lost in ecstasy before Kali was the one to break the kiss. Her warm breath was visibly puffing in the bitter air, and her eyes finally opened, as did Sienna’s. Remaining in each other’s arms, the duo gradually found themselves just silently gazing at one another, save for the occasional puffs and pants. They took it all in. The reddened cheeks, the sight of pure adoration, the dumbstruck yet knowing smiles, they shared it all. Kali finally found her words, smiling softly at Sienna.

“Do I have permission to say my one smart thing for this month?”

“As if you even need to ask.”

“I love you too.”

After all the talk of surprising Kali, it turned out that Sienna was the one that was to be surprised the most out of both of them. She chuckled a bit, looking down at her with half-lidded eyes as Kali leaned in once more, before being greeted with a little giggly whisper.

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the latest chapter! I hope you were satisfied with this conclusion to the main arc of the story. I do have a few other plans in mind for this couple, but if I can't find a good way to verbalise them I'll probably just add a little addendum. Whether or not it'll tie into canon is entirely in the air, so we'll just have to wait and see. I hope you enjoyed!


	4. Spontaneous (Addendum)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sienna's doubts catch up to her, and Kali does her best to reassure the tigress that not everything is as bad as it seems.

Minutes. Hours. Days.

Sienna had spent all of them Waiting, Yearning, Hoping. 

Minutes. Hours. Days.

Kali had spent them Lost, Confused, Running.

\--

“I shouldn’t have done that,” Groaned the tigress as the two cats finally descended from the rooftops into the hotel itself, “I’m such an idiot. And not like a cute idiot. Genuinely, I’m one of the dumbest people to roam this earth.”  
She held her head in her hands, with one arm being interlocked with Kali’s. Kali simply let out a light chuckle, snaking her hand up Sienna’s arm and pulling the High Leader’s palm from her face to intertwine their fingers.  
“How so? I don’t think anything went wrong. We went somewhere beautiful, and you said something beautiful, and then we… Well, we did something beautiful.” Kali let a small shade of red grace her cheeks as she spoke, trying her best to not reminisce on those previous moments. If she did, she knew that she’d cross a point of no return and go right back to   
doting on her newfound lover.

Entering the hotel room together with subsequent kicks to the bottom of the door, Kali used her coiled arm to gently jostle Sienna down onto the rather small bed. It was a good thing they’d ended up in their current predicament, if things had gone any differently someone would have had to sleep on the floor. Sienna was taken aback by Kali’s smooth movement, but then again the dark haired woman had been filled with surprises for as long as she could remember, opting to follow along and lay on the mattress lest she upset her.  
“It’s just… I don’t know. I’m scared something’s going to come along and bite me for it. Ghira is looking for us as we speak, and I don’t know how long we can keep running.” Sienna sighed, her ears tilting down a little as her harsh reality gradually came tumbling down.

Kali shook her head, climbing onto the bed beside- No, directly on top of her lap, straddling Sienna with no shame. At least they had long dresses on? Suffice to say Sienna’s face completely lit up with embarrassment as Kali was able to get into such a position with nary a flinch.  
“Then we’re going to run together,” She spoke as if it was all completely natural, leaning forward and laying down entirely on top of Sienna. She let out a soft cat-like purr as her head came to rest on Sienna’s upper chest, her forehead pressing a little against the tiger’s jawline. Her hands laid similarly to her legs; on either side of Sienna’s body, however this time it was compared to her shoulders instead of her hips. Sienna felt inclined to let her own hands slowly come to rest on Kali’s back, feeling the warmth emanating from not just her words but her body too.

“A powerful man with a powerful family is hunting the both of us. Our _thing_ isn’t exactly the most welcome style in Kuo Kuana. I have an organisation to eventually become the head of. There’s no way we can make this work, I was a fool for telling you and letting the adrenaline get to me.” Sienna groaned again, shifting her legs up a little. This only caused Kali to scoot her hips a little further along her waist, raising her rump slightly as any cat would. The comfortable cat shook her head again, making sure her ear flicked against Sienna’s cheek as much as possible.  
“I don’t know much about love. I don’t know much about Ghira-”  
“Please, don’t say his name right now.”  
“I don’t know much about...Suitors. But that’s the point, honey, nobody does. If love is pre-planned then what’s the point?” 

Sienna raised an eyebrow as she sat up a slight bit and caused Kali to slip down her body a little, now resting her head entirely on the left side of her chest and listening to the tigress’ heartbeat. Before she could sass back, Kali began to speak once more,  
“From what I learned, love is about being spontaneous. It’s about the little things, And it’s about waking up each day and realising that there’s someone in your life that can constantly bring joy to you just by existing. I could be forced into marriage by Ghira-”  
“Name.”  
“-by Him, and that wouldn’t stop me from loving you. If he truly wanted me to be happy and not just as a trophy, he’d see that. And even if he just wants me as a trophy wife, he wouldn’t care less about what I do outside of the public eye. No matter what route he takes, I won’t let you and I be ended by Ghi-”  
“Stop it. Please. Stop saying his name!”

The room fell silent as Sienna’s yell echoed through the dimly lit walls. Kali had sat up in shock at her sudden tonal change, pulling her hands away and everything as she stayed sat on Sienna’s lap.  
“Sienna..? What’s wrong..?” She trailed off, reaching out to once again hold her hand. Instead Kali was greeted by Sienna pushing herself forward to wrap her arms tightly around Kali. She held her close, silently save for the slight sniffles.  
“I was fine mentioning him before, but not anymore. I’ve spent so long waiting for this moment, and knowing that he’s the one person that could take it all away… I just don’t want him to exist anymore. Why can’t it just be you, and me, and-”  
“Right now it is,” Kali interrupted, placing a hand on Sienna’s lips with little protest, “Spontaneous, Sienna. That goes for everything, good and bad. If he wants to come and mess this up, then that’s just a hurdle we’re going to overcome and be stronger afterwards.”  
Kali spoke softly, keeping Sienna held close as she wrapped her arms around her waist.

“Spontaneous… Spontaneous… Spontaneous…” Sienna gradually repeated to herself as she laid back down slowly, being guided in part by Kali. Each time the word was repeated, Kali would nod as if she were a teacher giving approval to a student.  
“I’m sorry, Kali. I just… I don’t know, I’m just so used to having to plan for every possibility in minute detail.” The tigress sighed softly, looking up at her adoring partner and stroking her back a little.  
“From what I’ve seen, you only plan for failure, and you just think victory will be a one-and-done. Well… As far as I’m aware, you’ve already won, here. I sure as hell did.” Kali added, turning so that they both were laying on their sides. Sienna wanted to protest, but she knew deep down that Kali was right. A small chuckle escaped her lips as she closed her eyes, pulling herself closer to her.

“Of all the idiots to get myself attached to, I just had to go and fall in love with the smartest idiot around.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I felt like adding this extra little bit just for the sake of closure, y'know? Everyone has doubts when it comes to being with someone else, and being afraid is completely natural. The rewarding parts of finding someone you care about is not just the fact that they will stop at nothing to try and help you feel better, but also that they won't just outright dismiss your fears and will actively work with you to heal them. I figured illustrating this with Kali and Sienna would add a little more realism to their relationship that I could potentially build upon in the future! Anyway I have a few more plans for these two in separate stories, admittedly a lot of these plans are very.... b o l d... and will be a bit risky, but I'm excited to see what the future holds.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
